The present invention relates to the field of packaging, and more particularly, it relates to a corner post construction that is formed at the point of use from a one piece blank of material such as corrugated paperboard. The improvement in the invention resides in the manner in which the blank is cut and scored to produce a final configuration that is generally of quadrilateral shape in cross section, the inclusion of a diagonally oriented bracing member, and the use of an integral frictional locking means for retaining the corner post in its usable condition.
It is conventional practice in the packaging of heavy and bulky appliances, such as refrigerators, driers, washing machines and the like, to use cushioning elements in the corners of the shipping containers to protect the appliances from damage during shipping and storage. In addition, such cushioning elements are also used to protect the upper and lower edges of the packaged products during shipment. Moreover, because the vertical stacking strength of the containers generally used for packaging such products is not very great, the cushioning elements also serve to provide increased overall strength to the shipping containers particularly when the containers are stacked high, either in a transportation vehicle or a warehouse. Thus, when provided at the corners, top and bottom of shipping containers, the cushioning elements provide excellent stacking strength, and because they provide a space between the side walls of the container and the packaged product, damage from external sources is also substantially reduced.